Tell Me What Normal People Do
by BecFace11
Summary: Merlin is self-conscious of his eccentricities so tries to be normal. (Written for one of those 11 question tag things on tumblr. I was tagged by amydyersgreatblueyonder, and the question was: "11. Tell me what normal people do. (creative writing, 2 hours)")


Merlin has always been different, and not just because of his magic. At school he'd been bullied for his odd dress sense and eccentric habits, but as he'd gotten older people had seemed to care less and he was more accepted. And then he had met Arthur.

Arthur was very normal. He was a quite well off businessman who loved football and frequently went to the pub with his friends. They'd met through his best friend Gwen who's fiancée was a close friend of Arthur's. On that first meeting Merlin had been smitten, but why would normal, probably straight, Arthur, fall for eccentric Merlin? When he discovered a week and a half later that Arthur was in fact bi, his hopes rose slightly, and he was determined to try and become more normal.

"Gwen! Gwen! I need your help," he said when she finally answered her door.

"Merlin? Are you okay?"

"I need you to tell me what normal people do."

"What? Actually, come inside before you answer that. Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Tea would be great thanks," Merlin replied, smiling, as he made his way into the flat Gwen shared with her fiancée Lance. He settled himself on the old battered leather sofa that Gwen's father had bought her when she was a student, before he had passed away.

"So why do you want to know what normal people do?" asked Gwen a minute later handing him a mug of tea and sitting down next to him.

"I just want to be more normal," he replied, not mentioning Arthur. He hadn't told her about his crush because he was sure she would just tease him like she had done when he'd developed a crush on his friend Will in secondary school. Will had been very firmly straight, and nothing had ever come of it, but Gwen had found it hilariously sweet.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked concerned, reaching over to feel his forehead for a fever.

"Gwen, I'm fine," he said, batting her hand away. "I just don't want to be different anymore."

"What's brought this on all of a sudden?"

"Nothing!" protested Merlin, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"I'll get it out of you eventually, but to answer your question, I don't believe there's such a thing as a normal person. Sure there's what's socially accepted as normal, but no-one is perfect, and it's those eccentricities which make a person individual. You don't want to be a pod person. If someone doesn't accept you eccentricities and all then it's not worth being their friend."

"But…"

"No buts Merlin," interrupted Gwen.

Merlin let it drop, but the worry still lingered in the back of his mind, even when, a month later Arthur asked him out for the first time. Merlin spent the first date feeling self-conscious, trying to act as normal as possible, to the point where Arthur was concerned about him and mentioned it to Gwen. He'd even gone without one of his colourful scarves, and tried to style his hair, something he never did. Gwen confronted Merlin about it the next day.

"Merlin," she began as they settled down for lunch. "I was just wondering if that thing about being normal a month ago had anything to do with Arthur?"

"What? No!" Merlin protested.

Gwen raised her eyebrows.

"Well, Arthur was just talking to me about your date last night and how you were acting weird. You know, he's been interested in you for a while, but wasn't sure if you reciprocated the interest because you would never act like yourself around him, and now I think I know why."

"Of course not!"

"Merlin. You're a terrible liar."

"Fine. Wait. You said he's been interested in me for a while. How long?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly, but getting back to the point, you don't need to change yourself for Arthur. Just be yourself."

After that Merlin quickly changed the subject away from him and to Gwen's wedding plans.

The next time he saw Arthur was at their weekly group pub trip. As soon as Arthur saw him he stood up and pulled out a chair for him.

"I'm not a girl you know!" complained Merlin.

Arthur chuckled. "I never said you were."

Merlin sat down trying to relax and feel less self-conscious.

Usually around Arthur Merlin would be very careful to stay relatively sober so he wouldn't make a fool of himself, but he was trying to do as Gwen had told him, and alcohol, he decided, would be a good way to help him loosen himself up.

By the end of the night he was struggling to stand, but he hadn't had this much fun in ages.

"It's good to see you acting like yourself," whispered Arthur as he hugged him goodbye as they parted outside the door to Merlin's flat. "It's why I like you so much. You're not boring and normal."

With that he gave Merlin a quick goodbye kiss, then turned to make his way home.

From that day onwards Merlin swore never to try and be normal ever again.


End file.
